Lost in the Snow
by Ki-nee-chan
Summary: I hate a lot of things and I don't like a lot things. I only have to make it one more week and my biggest headache, Karen, will leave for her Pokemon journey. All I can say is good riddance. She's clingy, clumsy, always crying about something and I've spent half of my life dealing with her. Once she's gone I wonder what I'll do to kill the time though?


Lost in the Snow

I hate a lot of things.

Stupid, never ending snow.

Boring classes.

My parents when they're at each other's throats.

Noisy girls.

Kids with no brains.

But there's nothing I hate more than _**her!**_

"Hey Kevin! Karen's here!" a classmate shouted. I glanced from the window, peering into the gray, cloudy sky, scanned the class room where all the other students had grouped themselves into their respective clicks, someone had drawn on the black board, and at the door way _she_ stood at the door. She had her arms over her chest as though to defend herself. She wore a simple pink sweater with plain blue jeans. Her black hair was very straight and cut right below her huge earlobes.

I rolled my eyes and walked towards her, "What? I told you to leave me alone during school," I growled.

"I… um… I left my type chart at home…." She muttered looking at the ground.

"Give me a break. How many times does this make?" I sighed; I walked back to my desk.

Once I walked back to the door with my chart in hand she whispered, "I… I'm sorry."

I rolled my eyes and tapped my chart on her head as I lectured her, "Don't think that saying sorry will get you anywhere! You're almost ten-years-old, you're planning to go and be a trainer soon, why don't you just have this chart memorized?"

"S-sorry," she muttered looking down.

"Take this and go away," I growled, shoving my chart into her arms.

She gave a small smile and quietly stuttered, "Ah, um, t-thanks… a lot." She turned and walked slowly down the hall way.

Karen's dumb, klutzy, and slow. She's constantly jumpy and overly careful of stepping on peoples toes.

I took my seat and one of my classmates sat beside me, "Man you're really hard on her," He sighed. His blonde hair was cut stylishly long, parting in the front and having long bangs on either side of his face, the back was only slightly shorter then Karen's and it flared outwards. "It's how you roll but…"

"Oh shut up Matt," I growled, returning my gaze to the gray sky, "You have no idea what a pain she is."

She's been around as long as I can remember. Whenever she fell down, she'd come running, crying to me. When the flower she tried raising died, again, she came running and crying to me. When she was scared of starting preschool she clung on to me and cried. I've pretty much spent half of my life talking care of her.

"You should try being nicer to girls," Matt laughed slightly as he waved to a couple of girls at the other side of the class room. They smiled and waved back.

"Then you be nice to her. I'm sick of her dumb, smiling face."

"How can you say that?" Matt sighed, placing his chin on the back of his hand and his elbow on my desk. "You have a sever attitude problem."

"I don't want to hear that from you," I spat.

"Hey now, I heard that she's leaving for a trainer's journey soon."

That's right. Soon I won't have to go through this cycle anymore, one more week until she turns ten.

At the end of the day Karen stood at the door way to return my chart, and for some reason it was covered in mud. "Why is my chart filthy?"

She squirmed and looked down as she stuttered through her answer, "I'm… I'm sorry. I took a short cut outside and I-I dropped it."

"Ugh!" I growled, "This is why I hate loaning you my things. I never get them back in good condition!"

She blushed and continued to look down as she whispered, "I-I'm sorry."

Matt smiled, patted Karen on the back and loudly laughed, "Don't worry. It's just _**HIS**_ chart."

She flipped her head up from the ground and blushed furiously. "Huh…? Ah… oh, um…." She managed to squeak out.

"Stay out of this Matt," I sighed, turning and walking down the hall way.

"Hey, where are you doing?" He asked.

"The bathroom, I need to wash the mud off the lamination," I waved the dirty chart over my shoulder not bothering to look back.

"Ah! I'll do-" Karen shouted at my back.

"Hey watch out!" Matt shouted.

"Eek!" I heard Karen scream and a loud thud. I turned around just in time to see her face down on the tile floor.

None of us could think of anything to say as we stared at Karen sprawled out on the ground. Matt was the first to regain composure, he held out his hand to help her up, with an awkward smile on his face. She blushed and accepted. Once she placed weight on her left leg she fell back to the ground. Matt and I dragged her down to the nurse's office.

In the nurses office the nurse checked over Karen's left foot and bandaged the ankle before turning to me and smiling, "Karen just sprained her ankle. Please walk her home, okay?" and with that the two of us left her office.

Outside her doors I sighed, "…How did you manage to trip over your own feet?"

"I'm s-sorry," she muttered.

"I said it earlier. Saying 'sorry' won't cut it!" I growled.

This always happens; I'm always cleaning up after her messes.

"I'm sor…." she gasped, catching herself in mid-apology. She took a nervous gulp and stared at the floor.

I rolled my eyes and started to walk back towards my class, "Go get your bag."

"Huh…? Um…" she muttered.

"We're going home!" I growled at her.

We met outside the doors of the school; Karen had taken her time wobbling from the nurse's office to her class and to her locker to get her coat. As we started our slow walk I noticed a small snow flake fall in front of my vision. I clicked my tongue and sarcastically laughed, "Argh, it's snowing. Great, just peachy."

"Ah, I have an umbrella," Karen muttered as she dug in her book bag. She pulled out a see through umbrella.

I pulled it out of her hands, pressed the open button and held it over both of us. "I have to share an umbrella with you? Man this is sad."

She gave a small laugh.

Exasperated I asked, "Why are you laughing?"

She jumped slightly at the tone of my voice, "Huh? Wel-well, we haven't walked home together in ages."

"Duh. People stop that once they enter elementary school."

"I supposed…" she answered. Then she looked down at snow covered ground. "But…. I'm happy."

No matter how badly I treat her, Karen still follows me around. I know why… I know it… better than anyone else.

"Do you remember when we walked together in the snow five years ago?"

"I don't," I answered flatly.

"Oh… okay…" she muttered, dropping the topic.

"Hey you two!" Matt shouted to our backs. We turned to face him, "This is a rare sight, you're going home together?"

I sighed, "Karen sprained her ankle, that's why."

"Oh yeah?" Matt asked smirking.

"Buzz off, your fan girls are whining," I growled turning my back towards him. A couple girls no to far away we're yelling for Matt to hurry up.

"And that's why you're not popular," he laughed.

"Mind your own business," I growled.

"Ooooo, scary," Matt mocked. He then took a step towards Karen and dusted a couple flakes of snow from her hair, "See ya Karen." He then ran to meet the two girls that had been waiting for him.

I looked down at Karen how was blushing like crazy with her hand on top her head where Matt had touched her, "Karen, what do you see in that guy?" she pulled her hand away from her head, still blushing like crazy. I sighed and continued, "He's just a player."

"N-no... He's not," she stuttered. This was as close to asserting herself and Karen can get. "H-he always has a smile on his face. Even though he's popular he's nice to me…. He's a nice guy…"

Karen does this all the time. She falls for someone that's here polar opposite and then never works up the courage to tell them or even talk to them. Just like that, she lets her crushes pass and then she comes and cries to me about it.

I sighed and changed my gaze to the snow falling above us, it was picking up momentum quickly, "Not that it matters. You don't have the guts to even talk to him." She jumped slightly as I hit the nail on the head. "Look at it my way, I'm the one you come crying to." Images of our younger days came to my mind, a tiny Karen, waddling through the snow screaming, _'wait don't leave me!'_ Typical Karen can't do anything without me. "Not this time though, after all, you leave in four days," said in a condescending tone with a smirk on my face.

"I'll do it," she whispered. I snapped my head quickly in her direction. "I'll do it, I'll let him know I like him." She stared straight ahead with the most determination I had ever seen from her.

The rest of the way I we walked in silence, we entered an apartment complex, rode the elevator together and I left her on her floor before walking home, couple more complexes down the road.

I walked into my apartment and passed the dining room where mom sat, "You're late." She stated flatly. Not even bothering to look in my direction.

"Karen sprained her ankle at school today, I walked her home," I stated just as flatly.

"I see…"

I walked into my room and flung my back pack next to my desk and flopped on my bed. I rolled onto my side and looked through my window at the dark gray sky with endless amounts of snow falling. I hate snow. One, it's cold. Two, it sucks to walk in. ever since I was a kid there wasn't one good thing I can remember about it.

Once again images of a small, 4-year-old, Karen waddling after me in a thick coat in the snow screaming, _'Wait! Don't leave me!' _came to mind.

I had screamed, _'I said, 'stop following me!'_

Once I finally stopped Karen reached out her hand and grasped mine, gently whispering, '_Let's go home, okay?'_

I can't wait… to be free of it all.

The next day I happened to catch the scene as I walked by the courtyard. I stepped to the side so I wouldn't be seen.

Karen had placed a couple snow flake berets in her hair, a sky blue sweater that buttoned up in from with snow flake buttons. She wore a dark blue skirt to go with it. A girl's battle armor I suppose.

Matt quietly spoke, I could only barely hear him, "Sorry Karen, Sure I think you're cute but I can't see you as anything more than a little sister. "

"It…it's okay! I'm starting my journey soon so I wanted to tell you before I left." She said with a happy pitch but her voice was shaking more than usual.

"Thanks," he gently whispered before walking the other direction.

On the other side of the courtyard a girl met with him and they went off on their way together. Once Matt was out of sight Karen brought her sleeve to her face and sniffed quietly as she started to cry.

"How stupid can you get? You actually went through with it," I sighed, stepping out of hiding.

Karen jumped and turned around so fast that she left a trail of tears.

"You could have just remembered him as a nice guy but no… you had to hear his half baked excuse."

She laughed quietly through her tears, "Yes but, I feel better. I'm glad I got it out." She took a great sniff and finished drying her tears before smiling at me and happily saying, "Thanks."

Very soon now… Karen will be gone.

I left after she had walked to her class and started walking back towards mine when I hear Matt loudly talking in the class room. "Man! I didn't see that confession coming!" I jumped and looked through the door way, Matt was surrounded by two other boys, laughing. "I mean, I say 'Hi,' to her every now and then. Big deal. If little Karen thinks that's a good enough reason to celebrate she has it bad! I mean cut me a break!"

"Oooo heart breaker!" one of the other boys cheered.

"I'm telling 'ya! She crossed the shy line into the no dignity territory," Matt continued to laugh.

"H-hey…" one of the other boys muttered, noticing I was in the room.

I clenched my first and punched Matt right in the jaw. I punched him hard enough to knock him out of his chair. "Wha-What the hell!?" he screamed.

"What you said just now, take it back!" I spat.

"What the- You say the same things about her yourself!" Matt growled.

"Shut up! You don't know the first thing about Karen! No one but me has the right to put her down!"

"What?" Matt growled, getting to his feet, "You moron!" He screamed punching me in the face.

The world turned dark and I was thrust into memory lane. It was snowing that day too. I came home from school proudly holding a quiz in my mitted hand. I opened the door and shouted, _"Mom! Dad! Guess what! I'm the only one in class that got a 100 on the—"_

"_Go away!"_ my mother screamed at the door. Not bothering to turn away from dad.

My parents weren't the happiest couple, even back then.

I walked into the house and tugged on mom's long skirt, _"But, Look here!"_ I was egger to show her my perfect test.

"_Were you even listening? I told you to go away!"_ she shouted and slapped the top of my head.

My dad shouted something at Mom for hitting me but I didn't care anymore. I threw my paper on the floor and stormed out the door, passing Karen who was standing at the door way. Karen followed me.

"_Wait! Wait up! Where are you going?"_ she shouted, following me with her tiny footsteps, and waddling in her over sized coat. _"Hey!"_

I just wanted to disappear. Go someplace far, far away.

"_Hey… Wait! Don't leave me!"_

I stopped and faced her, tears in my eyes and shouted, _"Stop following me! You're annoying! Shoo!"_

I then turned and continued to walk. The sun set, not that it made much of a difference through the thick snow clouds. The town got dark and quite around us but still Karen kept following me, just like the idiot she's always been. Sometimes I'd look over my shoulder and she's give me her stupid smile.

Finally after several hours in the snow, my six year old self finally turned and asked her, _"Why are you following me?"_

She's an idiot, no matter how much I yell at her, how badly I treat her, she's always… always, always…..

She reached out and grabbed my hand and looked straight into my eyes through her bright blue ones and smiled, _"Let's go home together, 'kay?"_

The truth is, and I've known it all along, I'm the only that can't live without Karen.

My eyes flittered open and the first thing I saw was Karen with a bright red face and tear strikes down her face, "You're…. You're awake!" she sobbed even louder.

I glanced around; this was not the class room, "Where am I?"

"Th-the nurse's office. They told me you were beaten up by Matt and his friends… that you passed out after the first punch," she sobbed.

"Just so we're clear…." I grumbled, "The fight had nothing to do with you!"

Karen stared at me for a moment before laughing quietly.

Feeling slightly grossed out by her reaction and I shuffled to the other side of the bed, "Why are you laughing?"

"That… it's because you're always so nice to me!"

I sighed and smirked, reaching towards her to help wipe a couple tears away, "You… really are an idiot."

She just smiled.

The remaining days flew by and the final morning I stood with Karen and Dad outside of the Snowpoint Gym and Karen existed the building with a pokeball clasped in both her hands.

"So what did Candice give you?" Dad asked.

She sighed and looked at the pokeball, "A Snorunt… I'm not sure I'll be able to raise such a Pokémon…." She grumbled.

"Is it a girl?" Dad asked.

"Ye-yeah…. So maybe I can find a dawn stone, but I'll still be hard to raise… won't it…?" she sighed.

"At least wait until you're on the road before you get discouraged," I sighed.

"Ye-yeah" she muttered and placed the pokeball on a belt that she had placed on the outside of her long coat. "I'm glad you came to see me off," she smiled at me.

"Don't get me wrong," I snorted at her, "I'm only here because I got suspended from school and had to kill time anyway!"

Karen gave me her quite laugh and the sighed, "I wish mom would have come at least…" she reached down and picked her heavy back pack off the ground, "I guess it's about time for me to go. I love you both, Dad, Kevin, and I'll see you when I come back for Candice's badge. Bye for now."

"Bye sweetie!" Dad shouted.

Karen smiled and turned, walking proudly out of the city.

Dad placed his arm around my shoulder as we watched her walk off in the dawn light, "You know, if you had told me two years ago your little sister would be the one going on a Pokémon journey instead of you, I would have thought you were lying."

I rolled my eyes, wasn't that the truth.

"Anyway, I don't usually have you all to myself. Wanna go and grab breakfast together? I've got a sweet spot for banana pancakes."

I watched my sister finally disappear along the horizon, "Yeah," I muttered.

Dad quickly pulled me away and started dragging me through the town.

I wish you the best, my dear little sister.

_A/N: Please tell me someone, anyone, fell for the twist. I didn't feel like I was 'exactly' keeping their sibling relationship a secrete… especially with 'Let's go home together, 'kay?' I tried to put flash backs in throughout the story… did it come off as confusing? The differences in the sibling's personalities come from the extremes of growing up in that environment. Kevin came out quite prickly and Karen was scared of setting off any bombs. _

_My brother and I had a mutual 'Don't talk to me at school agreement' we didn't get along until high school was almost done with lol most of the time we had fights, ending up with bruises xD_

_I had the same sort of 'I wanna make something involving 'Love Lost'!" feelings as '__I Love Summer'__ posted just a bit before this one, I was surprised at how different a product I came up with. I feel a little uneasy about this one… like I was flirting with the incest bar there…. Now that I think of it I don't think I've ever honestly written anything from a guy's point of view. His emotions were all over the place and his actions were more inconsistent then most girls I've written about….._

_LRGR: Leave a review get a review, if you put LRGR in the review I will for sure check a fic of yours out :)_


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